Programs

Faculty/Staff Diversity Committee

McDonogh's Faculty/Staff Diversity Committee strives to develop the diversity, equity, and inclusion program at McDonogh. Through interactions (both formal and informal) with students, faculty, staff, and parents, this group fosters an open and inclusive environment in which to work, teach, learn, and grow. From a programmatic standpoint, McDonogh's Faculty/Staff Diversity Committee identifies areas of growth and works to create opportunities for community members to engage and develop in these areas. Topics of past programs include gender expressions, racial identity development, support for biracially and transracially adopted children, sexuality diversity, microaggressions, and unconscious bias.
If you would like to learn more about this group, please contact Malika DeLancey, Director of Diversity and Associate Head of Lower School, at mdelancey@mcdonogh.org or 443-544-7202. You may also contact Jen Pineau, Associate Director of Diversity and Assistant College Counselor at jpineau@mcdonogh.org or 443-544-7029.

Student Clubs

In the hopes of fostering cross-cultural understanding and an appreciation for affinity groups, McDonogh School encourages conversations about diversity, inclusion, and identity through the following Upper School student-led organizations:

Sankofa (formerly Black Awareness Club)

Asian Awareness Club

Spanish Club

German Club

French Club

Jewish Awareness Club

Spectrum (Gay Straight Alliance)

Big Brother/Big Sister

The Big Brother/Big Sister program is sponsored by Sankofa (formerly the Black Awareness Club) to help foster positive, mentoring relationships between students of color within McDonogh School. As part of this effort, Upper School students become mentors to Lower and Middle School students.

Diversity 4 McDonogh

Diversity 4 McDonogh (D4M) is a grassroots advocacy and action group that informs and inspires members of the McDonogh School community. Each year, a new group of devoted, highly-motivated Upper School students craft and implement school-wide diversity activities and programs. Some examples of programming include planning in-house and regional student diversity conferences, leading numerous assemblies and round table conversations for Upper School students and faculty, and creating an interactive workshop for incoming ninth graders.

Middle School Diversity Group

The Middle School Diversity Group consists of students in engage in activities and conversations that foster and understanding of identity, affinity, privilege, oppression, and ally cultures. This group is headed by faculty who seek to do the following:

help students feel a sense of belonging,

help students see themselves in the environment around them,

cultivate leaderships skills, and

raise awareness and the ability to view situations from a variety of perspectives.

Lower School Learning for Living

Learning for Living builds on our McDonogh Character Compass and Mission Statement, and emphasized themes that are rooted in giving Lower School children the social and emotional skills to do the greatest possible amount of good. Lower School teachers are intentional about teaching young children important skills revolving around the following themes: practicing mindfulness, developing empathy, advocating for self and others, resolving conflict, understanding global citizenship, and expressing gratitude.

McDonogh Diversity Committee

The Office of Diversity Affairs is working on creating an outlet for students, faculty, and parents to come together and address diversity issues. Parents and faculty members who would like to learn more about this group or who would like to serve on the committee are encouraged to contact Malika DeLancey, Director of Diversity, at mdelancey@mcdonogh.org or at 443-544-7029.

AIMS Conferences

McDonogh continues to send student diversity representatives to local conferences, where student leaders exchange ideas with their counterparts from other areas schools. Conference topics range from issues of class and race to gender and sexual orientation.www.aimsmd.org

McDonogh Annual Diversity Conference

McDonogh hosts an annual, local diversity conference featuring guest speakers and panel discussions. The conference is typically held in the spring and welcomes students from the Greater Baltimore area.

People of Color/Student Diversity Leadership Conference

Student and faculty representatives from the Upper School attend the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) annual, national diversity conference. The seminar and activity series focus on networking, support, and finding ways for schools to “build and sustain inclusive communities.” www.nais.org